Here we GrOw Again (ILGM- Wedding Cake Autos)

Rae…,

I am using these (Pictured-See Lower Label) along with CAL Mag. I use the CAL Mag because of the RO water. I will build up to full label strength as the plants get older and more resilient.

I had a rookie issue last grow where I was using all RO water. With RO my PPM is around 25 and the PH fluctuate wildly as there are almost no minerals in the water for the PH UP/Down chemicals to bind with. Once I started putting a low percentage of Tap water with the RO I felt confident about my PH being in the proper range.

This grow I will be mixing 2-3 gallons per watering so I will be introducing some tap water with the RO so I can lock the PH at 6.5 range. My tap water is very hard / Terrible!- Copy

@MeEasy,

How you doing Brother? Forgot to tag you, as I have been gone awhile goofing off this summer. What are you growing now? I see you changed your Avatar :grinning:

Welcome back sounds like a fun summer… I’m doing good and just growing along, yes I changed it I was messing around on here the other day told someone that if you put tattoos on Homer you would see me and he shared that picture with me and I had to use it, I don’t recognize your avatar did you change yours … I’ll tag you on my thread

Yea I did. I think I had a generic “W” the website assigned me by default. Thought I would get something a little more snazzy attached to my screen name.

I’ll keep a eye on your post and try and learn something new. This place is a great resource of information!

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@spankyjr1

Looking at your Pics…I got a couple of follow ups…

What are the temps in that tent zipped up 4’x4’ (right)?

Is that a single 6" exhaust?

What are you keeping your Air Conditioner in the room where the tent is?

Have you ever been in a situation where your charcoal filter was maXXed out and was emitting a smell of weed?

I was looking at the phamplet of the 4" infinity filter for giggles after I installed and hoisted my new one high in the closet. Directions imply like it is a 2 year filter. Talks about reversing the metal ends on the filter I am assuming at the half life cycle? I am not going to take any chances as if my output of the filter in the attic is releasing a smell it could be a problem with neighbors as they do sit out in their back yards.

If I remember correctly you are in the South East and I know it has to be (or was) brutally Hot and Humid so curious how you got around the Summer Temps.

My current Grow Update:

Not alot going on here. Just trying not to bake or overwater my Tiny (3 each) candidates. 4th seems to be a dud and never broke ground for some reason.

Today I have raised the Watts to 67w by adjusting the dial on the lamp, and am right at 15" height from Lamp to Leaf.

Trying to keep focused and improve this grow from the last two.

Where are you going on vacation, if you care to share.

Morning,

What are the temps in that tent zipped up 4’x4’ (right)? 5’x5’x6’

Is that a single 6" exhaust? Yes, 490cfm with a carbon filter mounted outside the tent
I also run another 6" 490cfm intake with another carbon filter outside the tent
I have only been getting 1 grow out of the intake filter before it clogs up so I took apart an old carbon filter and replaced the carbon with a washable filter so after each grow I can just wash it, I’ll let you know how it works out I’m installing it after I finish this grow

What are you keeping your Air Conditioner in the room where the tent is?
I keep it on low economy so the room gets down to 70 with lights off and about 80 lights on with 90+ outside temp with high RH
The tent gets to about 85 when it’s super hot outside I could turn up the air but they are growing just fine so why spend the extra cash
It’s been harder to control the humidity than the temps

Have you ever been in a situation where your charcoal filter was maXXed out and was emitting a smell of weed?
It gets plugged up before noticing a smell

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Nice Professional look to the venting and mounting equip on the wall.

Good to have that air circulation within the Grow chamber. With super high RH as you have I’ll bet bud rot is always something of a concern thru the entire, Grow, Dry, Cure processes.

Here where I hang my hat it is Desert Dry most of the time.

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Quick update. Today is Day 6 for life above the dirt top for these 3 candidates. Not alot going on here. I am still in the stage of not trying to kill the tiny plants. I have decided to use @beardless 6 Cola Tops. I will be transplanting to 3 Gal fabric bags when the plants get a bit larger with more mature root system.

I grew the ILGM Wedding cake earlier this year and this Auto Strain seemed not to be bothered too much by heavy defoliation and Manifolding. Trying to get the stash up to a level where I can experiment making concentrates. I love smoking the shxt, but my wife her lungs can’t take it.

I Slightly raised the wattage to 76w. Lamp is 21 inches (Raised Slightly from where I had it) above dirt. I am still not wanting to go too high on the wattage until these plants get a bit older and stronger.

Yesterday I dodged a bullet. I noticed around 5 am my AC unit for my house was on the Fritz. After a quick round of watching AC videos on You Tube (IDKS about ACs) I diagnosed the problem being the start capacitor on the outside compressor unit. Thank you YouTube! I am sure I would have Fried these plants had I not noticed the Infinity controller temp climbing as my Grow closet had quickly climbed to 87F.

Water source: I had heard my city changed their water processing to Chloramine which I noticed have raised the PPM to 908 on Tap. I have HARD / CRAPPY Tap water. The processed triple filter under-sink RO water is in the Low 60s PPM, I will be using the @Hellraiser technique of using a small amount of Tap Water with my RO as a start off solution.

Note: PPM under 100 (i.e. Reverse Osmosis Water) the PPM are too low to make the PH UP & Down Solutions work correctly due to not enough PPM in the water for the chemicals to bind with. I am throwing that tidbit out for the new growers like myself. Thanks again to @spankyjr1 for saving my @ss with this info on my last grow.

Note: with my city municipality the old way they processed drinking water I was in the 500 PPM range.

Hopefully I can keep the plant leaves nice a green but I am sure it will be a challenge.

If all goes well these should finish up around the 100 day mark.

Currently running the HLG lamp 24 hr per day. Soon I am going to a 20/4 lighting schedule as they are autos and it really don’t matter too much.



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That part is called a clicks-on lol slang name because it clicks on the compressor, I’ve had to replace a few of them and I to dks about ac lol …
I have the same issue with hard water @ just under 600 ppm with a pH of 8 I installed an ro system and I run the tap water through a double 10x2.5 filter mostly because I already had it installed inline making the tap water 520 ppm ph 7.8 I then use a pinch of vitamin C to neutralize any chloramine the filters missed and it brings the ph down (vitamin C is very cheap natural ph reducer) but it takes the ppm back up to 570
Then I mix the ro at 8 ppm and mix it 50/50 with the tap water which comes out… 300 ppm ph 6.7-6.8 depending on my pinch of vitamin C

I just wanted to share how I got to my happy place with my hard water and maybe it will help you get to your happy place… my numbers could be off a little I wrote this from memory and not looking at my notes but I did end at those numbers

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Day 6- Slight Run off achieved with about 12 oz of water between the three Solo Cups.

Watts:77
Lamp: 18 Inches Above

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@MeEasy,

Brother what ever it takes to get “Dialed In” there I am with you.

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Looking good my friend :smiley:

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Day 9 above Ground.

Watered to Run off.

No Change to lamp height or wattage. One plants seems a bit bent over. Will try and position the plant center and upright on transplant day.

Will transplant to 3 Gal Fabric Bags in a couple days. These are autos. Going to keep in the 3 Gallon Bags until the Chop.

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Looking good man

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Day 10
Watts: Increased to 93w
Lamp Height: 24"

Water: 6.5 ph Med Watering No Run off.

2 plants going into the Grow Chamber. 1 Going Outside.

Going to be too tight to grow 3 with Humidifier. Going to have to work on a Raised Grate if I want to get 3 in the grow chamber. Adjusting on the Fly. Going with 2 this Grow.

Will let these Grow and Clip once they get 6 sets of leaves. Going with 6 Cola Manifold.




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Looking good!
Have you ever tried (this is what I do for increasing moisture in grow area) fill a coffee can full of water with a rag inside and then tie the rag to a ratchet strap so you can raise and lower the rag in/out of the water as needed to control RH it works pretty good and takes up way less room so you could get your 3rd bag in? Just fill can as needed same as you do for the humidifier
I also I pre water soil in the bag so its moist for roots to reach out to just moist not soaked and then the soil does not compact as much or pool up as you try and water for the first few times
Just my thoughts not criticism :sunglasses:

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Spanky

I might do the can and rag method to raise humidity you speak of.

It is so Dry here that I am wondering what range I will be able to maintain?

Not sure if the humidifier is going to make 2 plants sooooo much better than packing that 3rd plant in there.

I May just put the humidifier near the 4" intake I have at bottom of closet and let the infinity fan suck it thru intake.

I know I really want to grow it out and not waste the 3rd plant.

I was hesitant on giving the plant too much water right after transplant today.

I noted your technique. Brother… I love the tips, good, bad. It is all a learning experience. No harm, no foul. Keep me thinking!

Would you start watering to run off in the 3 gal bag once you start feeding?

This is day 11, day 1 in the 3 Gal bags for 2 of them.

I plan on going Feed, Water, Feed interval starting at 1/2 label and building to full Label after a few at 1/2 strength.

I would let the bag get light/or plant wilting to encourage root growth and water to no run off a couple times around the outside of the pot maybe a qt each bag let it dry/wilt then go to runoff each time wet/dry cycles after that

Good plan! Don’t forget to check ppm and ph of run off once you start watering to 20% run off each time then you know how much nutes you still have or need to add

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Got the third Bag in there today. Light watering around edge of bag and a small shot on the Root ball near stem. I will give them a 4 or 5 days until I start the Watering to Run off.

I need to get the bucket of water in the Grow chamber later this AM.

No change to equipment. Closet is reading 82F. I will have to watch it close this afternoon as it is still HOT outside.


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Great! Good luck
You can also direct a small fan blowing on the rag sticking out of the bucket of water to increase RH if its not enough just hanging around

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